


This Shouldn't Be Rocket Science

by Sasy_B



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alpha Keith (Voltron), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Depression, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mating Bites, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mpreg, Omega Shiro (Voltron), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Porn With Plot, Scenting, but yall gonna love it, later on though, no smut yet, probalbly fake science, unknown disease
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-20
Updated: 2018-12-21
Packaged: 2019-06-30 06:04:26
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15745770
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sasy_B/pseuds/Sasy_B
Summary: As stress levels rise at the “Aerospace aLchemic research and Transreality Exploration facility of America.” (or ALTEA for short) Shiro's condition worsens and Keith is left with no choice but to face his stubborn Omega mate head on before something distress happens. even so, is there still hope for Shiro? with an unknown and incurable disease rampaging through his body and little to do but wait for answers the tension alone may just be his undoing.





	1. Angst and Cuddles

**Author's Note:**

> I'm just going with the flow honestly.
> 
> This chapter has a lot of angst and depressive thoughts so if you're easily triggered by that then please move on. the next chapter will probably be lighter than this but its only going to get darker from there... :')  
> Anyway I was prompted to make an a/b/o pregnant Shiro fic on my tumblr and somehow this was born of my mind so just... expect that later...  
> If you want to read the original concept for this au you can find the ask here on my tumblr: https://sasybanana.tumblr.com/post/182180474415/omega-shiro-pregnant-with-alpha-keiths-pups

Tap. 

Tap. 

Tap.

Keith let his fingers dance sluggishly over the piles of paper in his arms. He was lost in thought again.

The young alpha had been pacing the large comonroom, picking up the many papers and documents that had been thrown ascue, for longer than he would like to admit. There was no method to it, the room was messy and he wanted to clean it.

One, after another, after another, he plucked the documents off the floor and cluttered countertops as they entered his field of view. 

Keith rubbed at his eyes lazily, directing his attention to a relatively old coffee spill that was beginning to creep closer to someones abandoned notes than he was comfortable with. He swept them into his arms to join the others as well. Work had been tough lately and, with approaching deadlines and minimal results to show for all their hard work, the past week was no exception. 

It was frustrating for everyone to say the least.

Keith tried to redirect his thoughts back into his latest project rather than let his tired mind wander back into the melancholy slush of anger and frustration he felt every time his attention was drawn to his exhaustion but he couldn't stop focusing on what his hands were doing either. Such a mindless activity was making it more difficult to stay on his feet as he flipped between his thoughts and his pages.

He felt dizzy.

Rather than push himself any further Keith momentarily leaned against one of the large cupboards near the microwave oven in the back of the room, analyzing what he had managed to accomplish in the seemingly short amount of time he had spent there.

This area of the facility was normally used as a breakroom and a place for everyone to let loose after work but recently most of his coworkers have been using it as a secondary office space to keep grinding away at their projects far from their normal cramped desks and workstations piled high with papers and books.

Keith let out a deep sigh, reminding himself that the chaos that ran rampant through the research centre would pass and they would all be left alone to continue their work in peace soon once again.

He pushed himself off the cabinet and looked down at his wristwatch, it was already past midnight and yet there were still far too many people roaming the halls and tinkering on projects for the facility to be closed. all the same it had taken everything in him to pull himself away from the testing area; He and Lance were working an a new alternate propulsion fuel source that they hoped would be stronger and more efficient than the last compound they’d attempted. 

Lance was not too happy being left on his own but he couldn’t blame Keith for wanting to leave after staying out as late as they both already had.

Keith was anxious about more than a few details of their newest project and it was only worsened by the impending deadlines allura kept shoving in everyone's faces; It wasn't that she was particularly harsh or demanding, quite the contrary really, but she needed to publish proof of their hard work soon or she wasn't sure she would be able to keep up the funding they needed to continue their research. 

No one wanted that.

As anxious as Keith was over it he knew better than to exhaust himself past his limits, learned that the hard way. Right now, all he wanted was to wrap his arms tightly around his mate and go back to their room to sleep. 

That’s right. that was why he was stumbling around in that cluttered room to begin with.

His eyes scanned the mess of the common area looking for anything else important looking to pick up before it got damaged by someone senselessly spilling their coffee on it. When all looked clear he strode to the coffee table in the center of the room and placed his mountain of papers neatly atop it with a firm pat. He then turned his attention solely to his mate.

Currently, the large omega in question was sleeping like a rock across one of the many long gray couches decorating the room, laptop still sitting open on his chest displaying a mess of unfinished notes and references and emails. Beside him on one of the small end tables sat several empty coffee cups and a mug the size of Keith’s head that read ‘Best Mate in the Milky Way’ still half full of some kind of cold herbal tea.

Keith made a mental note to stop enabling his mates caffeine addiction but now wasn’t the time for that.

No, now the omega needed sleep and Keith knew that the moment he was awake once more, Shiro would go straight back to work, sipping cold coffee and working every muscle in his brain until he passed out again. 

He didn't need that right now.

On the other hand, all Keith wanted was to go back to his bed for the first time in almost twenty hours with his one and only mate to sleep until the sun called them awake again, he felt he might just have a mental break if he didn’t get the chance to properly scent Shiro soon. With the right amount of convincing he might just be able to persuade Shiro into the same thought.

Keith thought over his options carefully for a moment, stooping down into a squat in front of his omega he carefully examined his features, soft and still in the depths of sleep. The fringe of Shiro’s dark hair hung sloppily over his face tickling the bridge of his nose just above the deep scar splitting his perfect features in half.

Keith hated himself for allowing that scar to mar his face, swearing to protect his mate with his own life if it meant he would never have to feel that kind of pain again. He only told Shiro he forgave himself for it after months of pleading and persuading from the omega; ever caring and patient as Shiro was, he was have would never let him hold that against himself if he could do something about it. But there was nothing that could be done about the immense guilt Keith harbored within himself for causing that accident or the months of rehab that followed. 

He closed Shiro’s laptop and set it off to the side replacing it with his hand just above the man's heart feeling the rise and fall of his breathing, steady under his calloused palm.

Leaning in Keith placed several feather light kisses across the mans face until he stirred and opened his eyes with a groan, trying and failing to hide a sleepy smirk.

“Good morning.” Keith said teasingly as he nuzzled against Shiro's cheek.

“Hmm, what time is it?” Shiro rasped.

“Late, we should head back to our room now.”

“No, I still have work to-”

“You need sleep,” Keith cut him off. “We can both pick up where we left off in the morning.”

Shiro sat up on his elbows and Keith moved his hand up to cup the side of Shiro’s face, his expression firm but gentle, mirroring the one he saw before him.

“Come on babe,” Keith wasn't giving in to that look today. “I wanna scent you and… I also think we need to talk.” He insisted.

“Look, if this is about work I can take care of things. You don’t need to worry about me.” 

Keith held his tongue, knowing that this wasn't the place to discuss this matter. With his free hand he laced his fingers tightly in Shiro’s and let out a soft rumble from deep in his chest. Shiro relented, rolling his eyes and huffing out a sigh, and Keith helped the dark haired man off the couch and onto his feet.

It was a staggering walk back to their room, sleepy and a bit disoriented as they were, but they managed. Leaning into one another and scenting lightly along the way to keep themselves awake.

It wasn't that the walk to the “dorms” (as Lance called the facilities housing area for the crew) was particularly long or strenuous, the both of them were just far too exhausted to go more than ten feet without dozing off again. When they finally did arrive, it took the both of them to remember how the lock on the door worked.

“Well, I guess you were right,” Shiro said with a chuckle. “I really do need some sleep.” He admitted slugging through the doorway and ripping his shirt over his head the second he was inside.

“I think you should slow down a bit,” Keith said facing the door. “It's starting to worry me how hard you're pushing yourself.”

Shiro sat down on the bed with a deep sigh. “Keith, I don't want to talk about this right now.” He groaned combing a hand through his hair.

“If not now then when?” Keith erupted, turning back to face his mate. “God, I've been trying to talk to you about this for a week. I know things have been difficult here lately and I know what all of this means for you. For us! But before all else you're still just one man and spending all this time working yourself like crazy… it's not good for you.”

“Keith, I love you but I don't need you watching me like a hawk all day every day. We have things under control, I'm not doing anything more than anyone else here.”

“But that doesn't mean you're not still sick, Shiro.”

Shiro’s face fell into a painful expression, eyes wide, mouth sealed shut, and brows screwed upward as he felt his mate throw a dagger straight into his back.

Silence fell over the both of them, Keith's hard stare was potent in the dim light of the room and Shiro had had enough.

He looked away, holding his tongue for fear of saying something he would regret in the morning.

“I love you, Shiro,” Keith said in a calm, trembling voice. “I don't want to see you wear yourself silly for any of this. We're all here to help you and make you better, it hurts me when I know you're hurting and that hurt has been written all over your face for weeks. I can’t take it anymore.”

Shiro took a moment to collect himself. taking a calming breath and staring down at his hands as he clasped them together. he watched the way his knuckles nearly turned white as he added more and more pressure and then regained their color as he released.

Keith was right. He knew Keith was right. He didn't have long before their temporary fixes for his condition no longer aided him and the thought sent sparked a spiraling panic inside his head. 

Shiro was still young, smart, skilled. There was a lot he wanted to do before he needed to rely completely on medical aid and painkillers and he knew that once he hit that wall, the effects of his disease would take him over immediately and he would never be allowed to be the same man he once was. His own body a prison.

He was scared he would be unable to measure up again, scared that everyone would start telling him no sooner rather than later, scared of falling off the point of no return, scared he was entering a place within himself he never wanted to see...

He was scared of not being able to be what he thought Keith deserved.

“I just don't want anything to happen to you because of all this.” Keith cut through the darkness of his thoughts, his voice firm but full of reason and compassion. “You are my everything. The last thing I want is for you to work yourself to death. There's no cure for dead men, but there's always hope as long as we can fight it.

“I know that look and right now your scent says it all. Trust me, I’m just as scared as you are but we can do this. I won’t lose you. Ever. We can fight this I just need you to trust in me, trust in us.”

Clearety. Shiro felt all the weight of the world begin to fall off his shoulders as he listened to his mate.

Keith was never the best with words but he knew how to make Shiro understand, he knew what the darkness he harbored in himself would do to him but he knew it was to try and spare others of his own pains. Keith wasn’t about to let him bare those pains alone. Deafening as the truth was, Keith knew it was necessary to move forward and he never let go of his hope in their future. So, when the truth became too much for Shiro to bare alone, Keith was always there. He knew what Shiro needed to hear when he needed it the most.

“Nothing is going to happen to me...” Shiro assured, wether that assurance was meant for Keith or himself he wasn't certain, but he said it with all the pride and trust he could offer. “Tomorrow I will be better. I'll ease up if that's what you think is best, I love you too, Keith. I always have and I always will.” 

Keith nodded his head loosely, looking down at the floor and letting his shoulders fall as he exhaled. He looked as if he were on the verge of tears.

“Okay,” he said. “good.”

“Hey,” Shiro grabbed hold of the hem of his shirt with his prosthetic, giving it a gentle tug to pull his eyes back on him and coax him in closer to the bed. Keith was right, and Shiro was scared, but they both had a job to do and he wasn't a quitter. “If you think for even a second that anything I'm doing could be just as harmful to anyone else here as you think it might be for me, I will leave it all be and come right back here.”

The taste of Keith’s scent said he still didn't like it but they both knew how overprotective he was being. He answered with a another soft nod of his head and a soft rumble in his chest and wrapped his arms snugly around Shiro's head. Shiro did the same to Keith's waist and gently pulled him down into the bed with him.

“We can talk more in the morning,” Shiro assured. “I want to scent you properly so bad I really think I’ll go crazy if we wait another day.” 

Keith couldn't deny he felt the same. He kicked his shoes off and Shiro pulled the blanket over top of their heads.

Once they were completely concealed Keith began peppering his face with kisses. one after another they fell like rain on his skin, cool and refreshing. One or two times Shiro caught Keith's mouth in his, lasting only as short pecks but each and every one was so, so real, and safe, and grounding.

Keith made his way down Shiro's neck, kiss after kiss after gentle careful caress he navigated Shiro's skin like a master knows his instrument, playing a symphony abandon until he finally found his way to his scent glands.

Keith licked and kissed the sensitive skin with soft precision until he felt a small shiver run through the omegas body, he attempted to glance up at his mate but the blanket obstructed his view. Keith didn't like that.

He grabbed hold of the sheets and tore them off just as swiftly as they had been placed there, startling Shiro and causing another small shiver to trail up his spine.

“Better.” Keith murmured. He could see clearly once again, the light flush on Shiro’s cheeks, the fervent glint in his eyes, the way he bit his bottom lip, plush and soft as he waited for Keith to continue.

God if Keith weren't so exhausted he would be so turned on right now.

He sat himself up on the bed and before Shiro could think Keith was throwing a leg over his waist and kissing down his neck again. He ran his hands up and down the omega's bare chest, tracing constellations in the woodwork of his anatomy. He breathed Shiro in as another shiver overcame him and he released a gentle wave of his scent into the room.

Shiro was just as exhausted as Keith but he desperately wanted to treat him in kind. He slid his hands up Keith's shirt and pushed it over his head in one fell swoop as Keith took a breath and moved back to admire the flushed mess that was the physical embodiment of all his hard work and affection. All the same, Keith needed more and resumed his treatment with worm desperation seeping through the cracks of his being. 

He tilted his head to one side, giving Shiro an easy angle at his own scent glands and he latched on immediately showing Keith his same kindness he started with light kisses and licks up the man's neck before reaching that soft tissue and sinking into it. Shiro felt his alpha rest a hand firmly on his hip and didn't hesitate to wrap his arms around the mans back, pulling him flush chest to chest until their bodies molded together as one.

Keith's strong, earthy scent quickly filled the room alongside Shiro's and he couldn't help but take a bite. he nipped at the sensitive skin around Keith's neck as if to warn him before he sunk his teeth in with a pleased groan, it wasn't enough to break the skin but he wasn't exactly gentle as he sucked and lapped at the heavenly scent.

Keith followed his actions shortly after, lapping and nipping all around before latching on and digging in. Keith was much less restrained than his mate as he tore into Shiro's skin and marked him deeply.

Both of them stayed like that, latched onto one another, holding tightly and rolling their bodies together to encourage the other onward until Shiro finally released, gasping for air and letting out a soft purr that only grew as Keith soothed his hands over his body again.

Eventually Keith released him as well and the air between them changed once more; This time it was tender and intimate, with no real drive or notion behind them they rubbed their necks together, marking and scenting and enveloping themselves in the comfort that only they could provide each other.

After some time, the excitement died out giving way to the crash. Keith couldn't move any more and nodded off slowly on top of Shiro. He didn't care, too occupied as he was combing his fingers through Keith's hair and purring low in his chest to soothe both his alpha and himself. 

Eventually his hand stopped moving and that purr faded away into perfect stillness until the first amber twinklings of dawn rose again in their room.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Keith is worried for Shiro's health but Shiro continues to disregard himself if only to continue his work. But what surprises does a new discovery hold for them and all of A.L.T.E.A. and how long will Keith put up with Shiro's stubborn nature?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Idk there's probably lots of mistakes here too, after reading over chapter 1 I wanna go back and fix it up because of how messy it is but I probably won't XD 
> 
> Anyway the writing might not be top notch but I hope my storytelling is okay...
> 
> I had plans to extend this into around a 7k chapter but once I reached the end you see here I felt it was right to close it up for now. 
> 
> Hopefully it won't take me four months to update the next chapter. I'm not sure how many there will be but I promise there will be smut somewhere sometime somehow...

Rain?

When did it start raining?

It was the dry season now, it’d had been nearly a month since they had seen the smallest drizzle of rain but it seemed the sky was opening up in a warm summer shower over Keith’s head. it was a welcoming feeling; The cool drops of water on his skin, the hot breeze of desert air, the faint smell of… wet dog? When did Cosmo get here?

Keith scanned his surroundings but couldn't see the large pup anywhere. in fact, he couldn't see anything anywhere. He was standing in the middle of the desert. In the rain. Alone.

“Shiro?” He called out. No response.

He got a sinking feeling in his stomach as he took a few steps, rain began pounding down over Keith and wind howled high through the large formations of earth surrounding him. Suddenly there was distant rumble of thunder that shook the muddy ground beneath his feet but Keith took another step into the full force of the storm regardless in search of any other signs of life.

“Shiro!” Keith called again, he could feel his anxiety growing as his head tried desperately to piece together where he was exactly and how he’d gotten there. 

He jumped as another, much louder sound hit his ears and suddenly found himself jolting upright, dry and unscathed. Keith rubbed his eyes harshly as his sluggish brian tried to connect the dots.

A dream, he finally recognized.

Keith scanned his surroundings again, finding himself in his room under the covers straddling his mate, drool dripping down his chin… however, Keith noted, it wasn’t his drool.

Just as Keith was about to call for the large german shepherd, Cosmo pounced onto the bed in front of him and, coincidentally, directly on Shiro's chest startling him awake in a jolt of pain. Shiro’s startled yelp faded into a groaning chuckle as he tried and failed to push the large dog off his chest.

“Down boy.” Keith ordered, and Cosmo listened.

“Worst. service dog. ever…” Shiro remarked tiredly, he let out a tired sigh. “what time is it?”

Keith ran a hand through his bed head and glanced around the room, looking for the alarm clock sitting on the dresser parallel to them. It was dark, darker than it should have been if Cosmo was waking them up under normal circumstances. 

“Not sure, looks like maybe there was a power outage,” he said. “I don't see any light under the door either… could the backup power be out too?”

“if it is, does that mean the door and windows won't open?” Shiro asked like he already knew the answer, and sure enough when Keith got up to check the automatic door’s access panel, his answer came in the form of a frustrated growl and a kick at the wall.

“We can just override it,” Keith said in a irritated huff.

“The manual override port is on the outside, I mean, we could do it from here if we can get the inner panel off, but we don't have the tools right now.”

“That's stupid, who came up with that design?”

“Don't worry too much about it now, baby, we can just wait for the power to come back.”

“fine,” Keith tried to release the tension In his shoulders as he knelt down to pat Cosmos head. “But wait… If the door is sealed shut, how did Cosmo get inside?” Keith asked slowly.

They both stared questioningly at the dog sitting on the floor beside the bed, brown eyes gazed back as his tail watched enthusiastically despite the uncomfortable silence and lack of other acknowledgement. 

Than, with a soft ‘ping’, their attention was drawn to the orange tablet sitting on the dresser, suddenly illuminating the dark room and breaking the silence once again. Keith quickly snatched the device up and Shiro watched, squinting through the low light of the room. 

Keith waited a moment for his eyes to adjust to the brightness before flicking open the lock screen and reading in big bold words a message read ‘incoming call from: Pidge’.

“Who is it?” Shiro sat up, recognizing the call sound.

“Pidge,” Keith replied simply, and opened the call. “Hey, what's going on?”

“So, you're finally awake!” She chirped sarcastically, and Keith rolled his eyes. “Well, while you two were out snoozing the night away or whatever, some of us were working; and by themselves no less…”

“Don't tell me…” Keith groaned.

“Lance tripped all the power in the building trying to work out that bug you've been fighting with lately,” She glared off screen, telling Keith the man in question was still standing somewhere in view. “And then he decided to try and fix it himself, but instead managed to somehow cut off our reserve backup power as well.”

“This is not my fault!” he could hear Lance yell from somewhere out of shot.

“So, now what?” Shiro piped in from the bed, ignoring Lances whines. “We can't just sit here.”

“Well, you're going to have to until we can get the power back up. I just wanted to make sure you were both okay in there.”

Keith and Shiro exchanges a quick glance before Keith replied. “Okay, thank you Pidge.”

“Whatever, enjoy your time off I guess.” she huffed, and cut off the call.

“You see, we just have to wait...” Shiro paused a moment, contemplation written all over his face before he stood off the bed, walking sluggishly to the dresser and fishing out some clothes for himself. “Let's figure this out.”

“Hey, you heard Pidge… Its just like you said, there isn’t anything we can do right now,” Keith said low in his throat. “We might as well take some time to relax while we can.”

He was right, Shiro thought. He couldn't manage to say it outright though, his mind already too occupied with the worry of all his work going untouched for another hour at least and the impending deadlines they both needed to cater to. Thanks for reminding him, Pidge.

The dark haired omega huffed in frustration, placing his clothes back in the dresser and moving to the small bedside table.

“Will you help me?” Shiro sat back down on the bed, holding a small syringe and wrist gauntlet he’d pulled out of the nightstand in one hand and fidgeting with some of the bed sheets in the other.

“Of course.” Keith knelt in front of him on the hard, panel flooring. “Cosmo,” he called, and the dog perked up. “Heel,” he said pointing to Shiro and he jumped up on the bed beside him. “Rest.” he commanded, and Cosmo pressed his body against Shiro's back forcing him to sit straighter and leaving a comforting pressure on his lower back. When Shiro relaxed into him again the dog turned his head into Shiro’s shoulder and rested his chin right on top.

Shiro took a deep breath and handed Keith the syringe. “Ready when you are.” The omega said warily.

Keith took it and lined up Shiro's arm for the injection. Shiro winced and looked away as the burning sensation of the medicine shot through his arm and up, spreading out as it reached his shoulder.

“Breath, babe.” Keith soothed, and Shiro took a long, deep breath. After a moment Keith took the gauntlet from his mate and placed it on him, securing it tightly and gently letting his arm free.

Keith stared at Shiro until the pained expression left him. “Better…?” he got little response, barely more than a discomforted sigh. 

“Cosmo, steady.” Keith ordered again, and the large dog moved from behind Shiro, allowing him to lay back before he came again to rest on the bed next to him. 

Cosmo kept watch of Shiro while Keith disposed of the syringe. When he returned, Shiro looked more comfortable. 

“Let me know if you need anything.”

Shiro scoffed. “I just need to get back to work,” he said shakily, and Cosmo licked gently at his face while placing a paw over his chest, the light pressure seemed to help calm him. “It's getting Better.”

“Okay,” Keith knelt beside him, grabbing his hand and rubbing small circles into his skin. “I know... we talked about this last night but, I really do worry about you. I know what this work means to you and I know what we- what you are capable of but… you really need to slow down sometimes.”

“Common, Keith…”

“I'm serious. it's starting to scare me how often you need to medicate just so you can move freely.” Keith stood up, commanding Cosmo off the bed and onto his own, rarely used doggy bed in corner. Keith took the dogs place in the bed next to Shiro.

It was a long moment before Shiro responded. “I know, I know this,” he said barely above a whisper. “But I can't give up. I can't give into this.” he insisted.

“I'm not asking you to. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I did, but we also need to think about what's best for your body, isn't that why we're here?”

Once again, Shiro knew Keith had a point, but that didn't mean that it was a pill he was ready to swallow.

“Tell me about the progress on your end then, what was Lance busting his ass on so hard he tripped all the power in the building?” he was trying to change the subject, and Keith knew he would have to let it go for now.

“Honestly, I have no idea how he could have done this. We were working on that same fuel converter we've been testing for weeks, electricity has little to do with it, unless…”

“Unless?”

“Unless he wanted to up the voltage of the compressor to accommodate a higher fuel intake. But that would mean he was altering the-” 

Keith was cut off with the sound of a large bang that sounded as though it was coming from down the hall, startling the both of them. The two men stared at each other a moment before the lights suddenly sparked back to life.

“Finally.” they both breathed.

Keith pecked a small kiss to Shiro's forehead before hopping out of bed again and grabbing them both a change of clothes. He noted a message alert on the tablet that simply read:

Pidge:  
Powers back. ;^] 

He typed out a quick “thanks” in reply before opening the automatic window shades and turning back to the bed. Shiro had barely moved, and with the medication still fresh in his system and the electro stimulator only having just been replaced, it would be a few minutes more until he would be able to easily do so.

Keith placed the clothes on the bedside table, smoothing out some of the wrinkles as he talked. “Would you like me to start running a bath or do you wanna wait until you can walk properly to shower?” 

Shiro didn't particularly like either option but he resigned himself. “I'll wait, you go ahead and get cleaned up. Cosmo will keep me company in the meantime, isn't that right, boy?” he said turning to the dog who thumped his tail enthusiastically at further acknowledgement.

Shiro looked back at Keith, putting on his best reassuring smile. “I'm gonna be okay.” he said, taking one of Keith's fidgety hands in his own and bringing it up to his lips to press on a firm kiss.

“I know you will be.” he affirmed, and turned away to start a shower for himself.

“your rut is coming up, isn't it?” Shiro called after him once he was out of sight.

“Is it that obvious…?” 

“Probably not to anyone else, but I know you. You hyperfixate on me before you start and your scent gets thicker.”

“Is it bad?”

“No, just strong.”

“Good.”

There was a long moment of silence before Shiro heard the rush of water from the bathroom and saw the plume of steam rising out of it.

-

11:48 A.M.

Shiro couldn't stop glancing at his watch now that he knew how much time had been wasted sleeping through the power outage. Keiths constant looming over him wasn't much help either. As much as He loved sharing his mates ruts, Shiro always hated the weeks leading up to them.

He couldn't complain too much though, he knew he was just the same in preheat; clingy and easily agitated, that is.

When they finally reached the facilities main lab Shiro was surprised to find almost everyone crowded around the satellite feed and not the main converter.

“What's going on? How long was the power down? What caused the outage?” Shiro wasn't in the mood for small talk and casual greetings, he knew they needed to pick up the pace on their work now more than ever and all the wasted time spent fixing something that shouldn't have been broken in the first place was counterproductive to say the least.

Keith on the other had had quickly sought out Lance and seemed to be scolding him for causing such an inconvenience.

“Um…” Pidge began. “Well, like I said earlier, we thought Lance had tripped something up-”

“And I told you I didn't!” the blue eyed man cut in.

“Yes Lance, I'm sorry we blamed you.” she rolled her eyes.

“Wait, so you're saying it wasn't Lance for once?” Keith teased.

“Well no, we don't think so anymore at least. I didn't realize it before the outage but once we were able to jump the generators and repair all essentials of the facility I noticed an anomaly had appeared on one of our satellites that was moving at an unbelievably fast rate toward earth. I'm not even sure how fast it was going but I thought it was small enough that once it entered our atmosphere it would burn up…”

“But…?” Keith asked.

“But I had Allura watch the monitors just to be sure while Hunk and I worked on resetting the main systems and she spotted something incredible! The comet seemed to stay mostly intact, making impact not thirty miles from here.”

“That is unbelievable.” Shiro stated. “Does G.E.R.C. know about this yet?”

“We believe everything within at least fifty miles of the impact site was affected by whatever energy serge it caused so we have reason to believe they do not yet.” Sam answered.

There was a long pause, everyone was staring at Shiro, waiting for his plan of action and after a moment of contemplation he began listing out orders.

“Okay, we don't have much time to waste.” he started. “Pidge, Allura, Sam, I want you on the impact site A.S.A.P. there's no telling how long it will be before G.E.R.C. finds out about this and we can't afford to let them hog all the credit. Take a small team and quarantine off the area, check for radiation and see just what caused that power surge. If it is completely safe to do so I want it back here for an in-depth analysis by the weekend. If it isn't safe, we have no choice but to neutralize it so no one is harmed but take as many samples as you safely can.

“Hunk, I want you to prep a sterile examination area, use one of the fuel testing labs if you have to, just make sure no contaminants can get in or out.

“Matt, Lance, scan for debris in the surrounding area based of the meteors trajectory and known velocity. We can't have unknown substances interfering with real people's lives and the wildlife around here.

“Keith, Coran, I want you both with me, we're going to be contacting G.E.R.C. to see what information they have and if they would like to cooperate with us in figuring out what this is. It's unfortunate but the truth is we just don't have to tools to properly take care of this. Partial credit is better than none at all.

“I want a full report in by sundown. If there are any complications at all I want to know; And most importantly we cannot let this discovery get in the way of our work. We cannot get behind because of a pet project if we don't know the prophet it will yield, understood?” 

The room was filled with the unison murmur of a “yessir.” before all dispersed and began their own preparations.

“The main communications system is still down so if we want to contact G.E.R.C. we'll need to go there ourselves,” Coran began filling Shiro and Keith in. “in any case the sooner we leave the better.”

“I couldn't agree more. I wanna know where this thing came from and what the hell it is.” Keith agreed.

It wasn't a long ride to the Galaxy Exploration Research Center but getting in would take a whole lot of persuasion, which is exactly why Shiro brought Coran. He let the mustachioed man do most of the blabbering until he finally wore down the security and they called for the facility director, someone Shiro had no particular taste for. 

Director Iverson. 

After the passing of the previous director he had been appointed the head of research and while all seemed to be going well since his turn for leadership, he held all too closely to the ideals of the last director for Shiro's comfort, thinking that this was no work for an omega, no matter how experienced and accomplished they appear to be.

Iverson wasn't all bad though, Shiro continually reassured Keith. The man was simply too dense and stuck in his ways to recognize real potential when it was staring him in the face. 

As they met with the director and made their offer it was clear A.L.T.E.A. was not the only place affected by the comet; The main building seemed to be the only one that had any power at all, barely running off backup resources, students and scientists worked frantically throughout the building to find out what kind of bug had strolled into their system. Though, as Shiro and Keith continued to make their appeal the director found himself far less focussed on fixing the problem at hand and rather more and more intrigued.

Finally an agreement was made: the Galaxy Exploration Research Center would pitch in whatever resources they had in excess to help analyze the strange anomaly so long as they were given half the credit for the discovery. It was as fair a trade as Shiro was willing to accept.

-

“How much farther is it from here, Katie?” Sam questioned.

“Not entirely sure,” She replied from the back of the cruiser. “The trajectory suggests that it should have landed somewhere near here but we should have been able to spot the impact site from a safe distance by now.”

“Perhaps it burnt up before impact?” Allura suggested.

“It didn't look like it from the video feed, and I certainly felt some kind of rumble around the time it was taken. If only you could use your alchemy to sense the flow of energy coming off it or something...” Pidge wasn't being serious but the sudden glint in Alluras eyes told her that there was something to that suggestion.

Allura stopped the car and stepped out; Sam and Pidge stayed seated as Allura began pacing around the car, closing her eyes and holding her hands outward, palms facing down to try and feel the flow of energy around her.

Her eyes suddenly shot open and she jumped back in the cruiser. “It's this way!” she exclaimed, and turned the car sharply, speeding them towards their destination.

“There!” Sam shouted.

“Yes, I see it.” Allura affirmed.

“We should stop the cruiser here in case the comet decides it wants to mess with a gas powered engine too.” Pidge joked, but no sooner did she say so had the car come to a sudden jerking halt.

“I didn't mean it so seriously, Allura…” 

“That wasn't me…”

“Amazing.” Sam whispered almost reverently before leaping out if the cruiser and running toward the impact site on foot.

“Dad!” Pidge shouted after him. “Slow down, we still don't know if this thing is toxic or not.”

“Pidge, wait.” Allura grabbed her hand, dragging her towards the large creator as well. “Look.”

It really was unbelievable, she thought. Where Pidge had expected to be a large mass of rubble buried in the earth and surrounded by plumes of toxic smoke there was… Greenery. In the middle of the Arizona desert. Flowers and small shrubs nearly enveloped the asteroid while moss and grass began to rapidly grow over top of it. It seemed as though the comet had left a trail of foliage behind it, from the moment it touched the earth there was life springing up from it.

Unbelievable.

Sam inched closer, his curiosity near overwhelming as he watched the comet transform the world around it from a dry wasteland into its own personal oasis.

“Dad, I said wait,” Pidge scolded. “Let me take some scans of this thing first before you attempt taking any samples let alone touching it.” she suggested and she pulled out several gadgets from her satchel.

“Right, right. Rule number five: if you don't know where it came from, don't eat it.” 

“Sure dad…” Pidge barely attempted to humor him as she fiddled with her devices.

“What's wrong?” Allura asked.

“It's these stupid scanners, they all work off a different type of energy but none of them seem to be working, they must all be affected by this comet somehow. Are you getting any strange feelings from this thing? Allura?”

“I'm not sure, it's certainly unusual but being here, it makes me feel… happy. Like everything will be alright.”

“Well that's kinda creepy…” Sam finally chimed back in. “But if we can't get a reading on this thing, how are we supposed to know that it won't kill us if we take it back?”

“I have no idea.” Pidge shook her head.

-

7:22 P.M.

God what a waste of a day, Shiro thought on the long ride back. They weren't able to work out all the details of their agreement in one meeting, opting instead to use minimal resources as necessary until something of interest could be found and confirmed. It was fair, but frustrating.

Upon arriving back at A.L.T.E.A. Shiro, Keith, and Coran were met with a swarm of people, the separate teams having just returned to the common area with their reports as well. 

“Okay, teams, what have you found?”

“Truthfully, Shiro, your guess is as good as any of ours.” Sam began.

“The energy coming off the asteroid is unlike anything I've ever seen,” Allura stated. “It seems to interfere with any form of technology using electromagnetic wave pulses.”

“And those pulses aren't even the beginning of how crazy this thing is!” Pidge interjected. “Whatever this thing is, its creating what appears to be its own ecosystem that is comparable with our own causing rapid growth of flora and fauna on every bit of earth it touches!”

“We aren't sure how accurate these assumptions are right now though,” Sam disclaimed. “Like we said, the asteroid knocks out anything using electricity as its main energy source so we couldn't get any readings on it and we didn't want to bring back any samples in case it decided to cause more trouble here.”

“Well any information is better than no information. At least we know now that it was the cause of the power outage this morning. We will have to set up our examination area on site just to be safe, sorry Hunk.” Shiro said sympathetically.

The beta deflated but resigned to a simple “okay. That's cool.” in response.

“What about you guys,” Keith asked, turning to Matt and Lance. “Did you find anything else?”

“Strangely enough, no.” Lance replied.

“We used one of our close range satellites to scan the desert for the same signature as voltron and-”

“Voltron?” Coran questioned.

“Yeah! I came up with it myself.” Lance exclaimed. “Pretty cool sounding, huh?”

“Right…” Keith humored.

“Anyway,” Matt continued. “We were scanning for the same signature and the only one we could find in the entire state was the asteroid itself, we couldn't even find traces of residual fragments that may have broken off and burnt up along the way.”

“so the asteroid just… stayed in one piece? How is that possible, especially for something so relatively small?” Hunk asked, looking to Sam for confirmation.

“Well right now we don't know anything. Its best to keep working off of what we do know rather that keep shouting out theories and guesses,” Shiro encouraged. “We have the aid of G.E.R.C., it isn't much but it's better than nothing. We should start setting up a sterile containment area around the impact site as soon as possible. Hunk, why don't you meet with the representatives of G.E.R.C. and fill them in on what we do know. Pidge, Lance, I want a full written report of whatever findings you do have done by the morning. Everyone else, we need to get back to work on our regular projects. Lets not forget about the end goal right now.”

The room quickly dispersed once again. Shiro sat back in one of the many couches, the events of the day having warn him down more than he thought. Keith stayed at his side, watching over him as any protective alpha would.

“You're pushing it again. What do you need?” Keith insisted, for what felt to Shiro like the twelfth time that day.

“I'm fine, baby.” Shiro rubbed at his temples.

Keith stood still a moment, watching him as if to decide whether to believe him or not. “Okay,” he finally answered. “But you call if you need anything. At all. Even if you just wanna see me for a moment you tell me and I'll be right over.”

Shiro chuckled. “You dote on me too much,” he commented. “but okay, you never have to worry, I’ll call if I need you.”

Keith leaned in, pressing a shallow kiss to the side of Shiro's lip and Shiro turned into it resulting in a chaste kiss that brought them together in a way that felt far too intimate for a place such as the common room. When they parted ways Shiro pressed his forehead against Keith's and let out a soft hum of affection. Then Keith stood, slowly letting the contact between them fade before turning and leaving the room altogether.

With the morning would come a flood of responsibility, Shiro knew this. He knew it would be best to get as many details sorted through the night as possible to alleviate the stress of tomorrow, yet right now he wanted nothing more than to build a comfortable nest for himself and his mate and hide them both away until he felt like himself again; like the man he is on the inside. But he knew what needed to be done. Domesticity can wait for a time when all his problems don't have to be solved with a syringe.

This is his burden, and Shiro was determined to carry it to the end of his journey, illness be damned.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> let me know if there are any big mistakes in the writing and if you like this au or not! I'm not sure how many chapters this will have but its gonna be a lot and I probably wont be making any kind of scheduled for it so... yeah!
> 
> follow me on Tumblr:  
> @sasybanana (SFW/Everything blog)
> 
> And on Twitter:
> 
> @SaSybanan (nsfw/fic update/whatever the hell else)


End file.
